Much before the existence of pills and the modern antibiotics, Mother Nature offered a bountiful home remedies to cure all ills. Here is a ready reckoner for these home remedies that will come in handy while tackling your family's common illnesses. So the next time you or anyone at home is feeling under the weather, head for the kitchen cabinet instead of your medicinal kit. Listed below are a host of remedies for some common ailments.  

• Cough
  
  Add a gram of turmeric (haldi) powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough. Also chew a cardamom for a long time.
  
• Cold
  
  Mix a gram of dalchini powder with a teaspoon of honey to curb a cold. Prepare a cup of tea to which you should add ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper. This should be consumed twice a day. Reduce the intake as the cold disappears.
  
• Hiccups
  
  Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it. The lemon should be eaten until the hiccups stop.
  
• Toothache
  
  Chew a clove or dip a piece of cotton wool in clove oil and place on the aching tooth for best results.
  
• Itching
  
  Apply neem oil to the affected area. Or make a fresh paste of some neem leaves and apply externally. Boil neem leaves in the hot water used for your bath. Also eat a teaspoon of neem juice along with sugar for quick relief.
  
• Injury
  
  For any cut or wound, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying haldi.
  
• Bodyache
  
  Boil ten tulsi leaves in one cup of water until the syrup is reduced to half a cup. After cooling, add salt to the liquid decoction. Take this mixture daily to stop body ache.  Alternatively take half a gram of dalchini powder with one-teaspoon honey at least twice a day for best results.
  
• Physical weakness
  
  In order to reduce weakness and increase blood circulation, make a dry fruit milkshake made out of ten dry grapes, five  dates and two dry figs along with a glass of milk. Have it once or twice a day to feel fresh and energetic.
  
• Diabetes
  
  The best remedy for this disease is the bitter gourd, better known as 'karela'. Eat this vegetable as often as you can or have at least one tablespoon of karela juice daily to reduce blood sugar levels in your blood and urine. Besides, take ten tulsi leaves, ten neem leaves and ten belpatras with a glass of water early morning on an empty stomach. It will work wonders in keeping your sugar levels under control.

Your eyes are the windows to your soul. Moreover, healthy, sparkling eyes are the sign of a well-adjusted, happy, human being. Needless to say that this is a very attractive quality as well as a sign of true beauty. Something that every person aims for.

Now how does one go about achieving this? It’s quite simple really. One must try to remain calm and relaxed in the most adverse circumstances. Life does not always go the way we want, but always works out best in the end. If we are accepting and content with our lot then our path automatically smoothens out. But this is the way to true inner beauty. Let’s see how we can handle these windows to our soul externally.

The easiest way is through make-up. You can always emphasize or intensify the shape and colour of your eyes with the help of a kohl pencil, eyeliners and eye shadows. But the best way to maintain that inner sparkle is to take care of your health. Avoid long hours and do not overstrain your eyes. 
 

How Should We Avoid Eye-Strain 

One of the most common causes of eyestrain is inadequate lighting while reading or even doing housework, like cleaning, mending or sewing. This causes a weary, dull feeling that can simply be avoided by proper lighting.

Another common fault is the angle at which you tend to hold a paper or book while reading. People generally tend to hold it too close to their eyes and strain them in the process. The correct method is to hold the book about ten inches away from your face i.e. neither too close nor too far. The same goes for watching television or when using the computer.

Lastly, if none of the above tips seems to help, then you must consult an optician to check your number. Do not worry as you can go in for contact lenses. In any case, nowadays spectacles have become a wonderful accessory. If you already have spectacles, then make sure you get your eyes tested every two years or so in order to keep a check on your number. 
 

Simple Home Remedies for Tired Eyes

1. To soothe tired eyes, dip cotton pads in chilled milk and place on closed eyes for 10 minutes. Now relax completely. 
2. Alternatively, you can place slices of cucumber or grated cucumber on closed eyelids for about 10 minutes and relax completely. 
3. To completely relax the eyes and the surrounding muscles, close your eyes and think of something that is pleasant or soothing and at a distance. Now gently open your eyes and look into the distance. Next focus on an object at arm’s length. Do this extremely relaxing exercise four to five times a day.

Make Your Eyes Sparkle 

Soak 1 tsp. dry amla in one cup of water overnight. Next morning strain it through a muslin cloth and then add one extra cup of water. Splash your eyes with this solution each morning and watch your eyes sparkle. 
 

Problems with Puffy Eyes 

All you need to do is grate a potato with its peel, apply on your closed eyelids for about 20 minutes, and relax completely. You may even take a nap. You will wake up feeling extremely fresh. 
 

Tips for Dark Circles 

1. Apply cucumber juice below your eyes every night just before going to bed. 
2. Mix the pulp of a quarter tomato, turmeric powder, lemon juice and gram flour (besan). Apply this mixture on your dark circles and wash off once it dries.

Dry hair can drive you crazy at times. Learn a few simple ways to tame those tresses and look gorgeous always.

Everyone has a bad hair day occasionally. However, when you have dry hair you seem to have bad hair days more often than people with other types of hair. This is because dry hair brings with it a host of problems. These include frizziness, split ends, dandruff, etc. Here are some measures you can use to make it more manageable and keep it looking great.

Drink lots of water

In most cases, people have dry hair because their bodies are simply not getting the required daily fluid intake. Seventy-five percent of the human body is made up of water. When your body loses some of its water content, it starts drawing in the water from those parts of the body that need it less. This is to supply water to the essential organs like the heart, lungs, liver, etc. Consequently, your skin and hair are the first to suffer from the lack of water in your body.

To combat this effect, make sure that you drink adequate amounts of water each day. You should aim to consume at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. Avoid substituting water with other liquids such as juices, colas, coffee, etc. Colas and coffee usually have caffeine in them that acts as a diuretic. This will speed up the loss of water from your body. In the case of juices, the sugar content in them is very high which could again lead to health problems like diabetes. There is just no substitute for plain water.

Oil your hair

Along with being properly hydrated, your hair also needs to be enriched with natural oils. This will soften your hair and provide it with the nourishment it requires. Olive oil is considered the best oil to achieve healthy hair. Try and cook your food in olive oil and see the difference it makes to your hair. For a quick fix just before you go out, apply a little olive oil to your hair to make it easier to comb and style. If olive oil is too expensive an option, you could use a cheaper alternative like coconut oil.

Shampoo less often

The problem with dry hair is that it is already running low on nutrients. Hence, you cannot afford to lose these nutrients from your hair, as they will take a long time to be replenished. The chief cause of this loss of nutrients from hair is excessive shampooing. Most shampoos are full of chemicals like acids and detergents. While they do a great job of ridding your hair of dirt and grime, they also tend to strip away the natural protective layer of oil that covers your hair. For people with normal or oily hair, this is not really a problem as the lost oil layer is replaced soon. However, people with dry hair cannot replace the oil layer so quickly, which leaves the hair dry and frizzy.

Avoid shampooing your hair too often if it is prone to dryness. Shampooing your hair twice a week is enough to keep it clean. At the same time, it will prevent the excess loss of oil from your hair. Also, keep an eye on the brand of shampoo you are using. Opt for a mild shampoo that contains only small amounts of chemicals in it. This will be less harsh on your hair. If possible, choose a shampoo made out of natural ingredients like Aloe Vera.

Condition your hair

Merely shampooing your hair is not enough. It needs to be supplemented with further treatments to protect your hair. Hair conditioners provide the most important after-shower care. A conditioner forms a kind of protective layer over the hair and seals in its moisture. This goes a long way towards preventing your hair from breaking or developing split ends. Again, preferably choose a conditioner with natural ingredients. It need not be an expensive brand name. Many local beauty stores have their own brands, which are cheaper and perform the same function.

You could also keep a bottle of leave-in conditioner on hand. A leave-in conditioner is a conditioning product that can be used on hair when it is either damp or dry. If your hair feels a bit frizzy during the day, just apply a small amount to your hair to smoothen out the frizz.

Dry hair is no excuse not to look good. With so many products available in the market, you can easily manage your unruly locks and look like you stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine.